Great expectations

The world of travel and tourism will crisscross each other at Heathrow to finally unite at Excel, London to once again, meet, greet and then retreat to meet again. Well that is the world of travel and tourism, a story that is never ending as travel by its very definition is constant and ongoing. It is an industry that is vulnerable as it faces pressures due to both natural and man-made adversities happening in the world; it is also an industry that is proud of its resilience to always bounce back with a refreshed action plan. India Tourism is also all set to make its mark at WTM. The Incredible India 2.0 campaign is rather futuristic and is looking at making the right impact in markets across the globe. The minister of tourism, Government of India, K J Alphons, recently spoke at the Indian Express exclusive Tourism Round Table (RTC) in a voice that was strong and stately. He spoke in a candid and clear tone speaking about issues head on. From marketing, to people behaviour, from monument adoption to cleanliness and hygiene, the minister was grounded in his words. He was clear that there is so much more to do and achieve though a lot of action has taken place over the last four years. The subsequent panel discussion with industry thought leaders highlighted the importance of working towards bringing in quality tourists, resolving taxation issues, seeking infrastructure status for the tourism and hospitality sector, e-visas, better air connectivity and more. From improving KPIs in tourism to clearing the coloured perceptions that markets have toward India. (To read more, refer to our cover story.) WTM is one of the ideal platforms to speak about the India story right and to clear the coloured perceptions. The world needs to view India as a quality travel destination that gives its visitor a seamless and serene travel experience.

The coming year is being looked at with great expectations from tour operators. The future will call for operators who can predict, pre-empt and present products before the client says, ‘What’s new on the travel scene?

Further, speaking about new initiatives and policies, from Udaan scheme to Prasad and Swadesh Darshan schemes, the cruise tourism sector is also gaining some momentum. Recently the Mumbai-Goa cruise service was flagged-off. However, such policies need to be consistent and constant to get the ship moving in the desired direction, without facing rough weather. With regard to air travel, IATA’s 20 year air passenger forecast predicts 8.2 billion air travellers in 2037, with India being in the third place by 2024. The coming year is being looked at with great expectations from tour operators as traveller demands are getting more crisp and cutting edge. From multi-country general travel to cherishing the finer elements of travel, the future will call for operators who can predict, pre-empt and present products before the client says, ‘What’s new on the travel scene?’

REEMA LOKESH
Editor
[email protected]